Bonus Video: Dogs Scared of Cats

Our friend “optimal play” posted this on my chess page today, and I thought it might give you a chuckle. Some of these clips have appeared in other compilations, so you might have seen them before–but they’re still funny.

What do these dogs know about these cats that we don’t know? Or is it something that they only think they know?

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About leeduigon

I have lived in Metuchen, NJ, all my life. I have been married to my wife Patricia since 1977. I am a former newspaper editor and reporter. I was also the owner-operator of my own small business for several years. I wrote various novels and short stories published during 1980s and 1990s. I am a long-time student of judo and Japanese swordsmanship (kenjutsu). I also play chess, basketball, and military and sports simulations.
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2 responses to “Bonus Video: Dogs Scared of Cats”

May I offer an analysis? Dogs are outgoing and friendly, but they romp around and play in a manner different than that of cats. Cats are friendly, but reserved and insist on choosing when and where to be outgoing. Because cats don’t respond to the social signals of dogs, the dogs can’t really get a handle on the subject. They seem unfriendly, even intimidating from the dog’s point of view.

The cat, OTOH, sees the dog as unpredictable and doesn’t understand the way dogs play. Especially if the dog is larger, the cat makes it obvious that it is not going to put up with any nonesense whatsoever, and it has the claws deliver on this, not because the cat is mean, I put because it doesn’t trust the dog.

One quick swipe to the nose let’s the dog know that the cat is no one to trifle with and, at least some, dogs decide that discretion is the better part of valor when it comes to cats. The cat is satisfied with this state of affairs and holding its ground, or in some situations, holding its staircase, seems a good way to reinforce the message.

I know that with at least one of my cats, any dog it encountered socially would get a scratch to the nose. Usually it only took one demonstration and the dog understood. She would be friendly to dogs, but only so long as the dog understood that there were rules of conduct in force.

Of course, to the gregarious and playful canine, rules are meant to be tested, if not outright broken, so the game can last indefinitely. Amazingly, most of the times that I’ve had dogs and cats together, they ended up fast friends and cuddled together while sleeping. However, even in those situations, the cat might send out the occasional reminder regarding just who rules the roost.